The first two games that really got me into video games were Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter the Precursor Legacy. Both are Naughty Dog games. Although both really got me into video games, Jak and Daxter really connected to me.
Jak and Daxter
Every game in the original series are amazing to me. If I had the games, I would replay them in a heartbeat. The art style in Jak and Daxter is breathtaking. Every area from Sandover Village to Rock Village looked stunning even on early PS2 graphics. Although with Jak 2 and Jak 3 they decided to take a different, more GTA route, the gameplay still felt great. There was still the different art style that varied from region to region. The addition of "Dark" Jak and "Light" Jak made the gameplay better in my opinion. Then after the release of Jak X, Naughty Dog completely fucked the series in the ass... Jak X was fun, don't get me wrong, but it didn't feel like a Jak and Daxter game. Then Jak and Daxter the Lost Frontier came. Being developed by High Impact Games with Naughty Dog co-developing at times. I never played this one since I didn't own a PSP or PS2 at the time of it's release, so I will not discuss it since I have no experience with it.
Crash Bandicoot
Crash was probably the most iconic figure for the PS and PS2 era. The gameplay was simple, but enjoyable. You were a Bandicoot on a mission, you learned no skills through out the game and there were no gimmicks. The later two games added new things like vehicle levels and 3d planes (Like Y-axis, not flying machines). Then after the third game they released CTR, which was still a fun to play racing game. Then Traveller's Tales and Radical Entertainment got their hands on the series and turned Crash into something he did not deserve to be. They gave him a new 21st century look with tattoos and more spiky hair on his face. It just didn't look right.
It seems to me that Naughy Dog follows a pattern. After releasing three main games. they release a racing game, then hand the franchise off to another developer. So I'm guessing in 2012 we can see Uncharted: Drake's Drivers coming to stores.
I wish they wouldn't do this, they make great wacky out of the world games and they always write a great story for them. Uncharted has a great story even if the game is serious.
So Giantbomb, do you agree with me that Naughty Dog has forgotten the games that made them one of Playstations greatest exclusive developers?
Naughty Dog, Inc.
Company »
Naughty Dog, Inc. is a US-based game developer founded in 1984, who was later acquired by Sony Corp. in 2001. They develop exclusively for Sony-branded platforms.
Naughty Dog seems to have forgotten what made them great.
If this means they make less Uncharted the hell NO, I think they can make what they want. They have earned my trust to know what they are doing.
@Twitchey said:
Then after the third game they released Crash Bash, which was still a fun to play racing game.
I think you mean CTR, not Crash Bash. And I'm looking forward to Unkarted.
I think it's better they stop making games in a series before they're just shelling out the same game year after year, and just kick-start a new series on a new platform. I'd rather them create a bunch of cool universes then just make one for their lifespan.
No not really. I mean what they're making is different but it's great, and I think it's hard to do a hardcoreish cartoon kind of thing like the franchises you listed. They've also kind of proved they can do anything tonally as well. And as a personal preference I'd prefer the great narrative of Uncharted over the cartoonish kinds of characters they used to do.
I'm glad they haven't been pumping out the same franchise as well, they like to keep it fresh.I'm glad they've never stuck to just pumping out games in the one franchise, and no I don't think they've "forgotten what makes them great" at all.
But I wish they never gave the rights to other companies. The other companies can't do what they did.
@MEATBALL said:
I'm glad they haven't been pumping out the same franchise as well, they like to keep it fresh. But I wish they never gave the rights to other companies. The other companies can't do what they did.I'm glad they've never stuck to just pumping out games in the one franchise, and no I don't think they've "forgotten what makes them great" at all.
yea that was definitely a mistake to give crash bandicoot to someone else. every time i see a new one i get really sad because they're shitting all over my fondest childhood memories.
Cared for neither Jax and Dexter or Crash Bandicoot in any major capacity. Let them stick to making Uncharted, something that will actually sit in the video game history books, and now in the bylines like Crash.
So because you can't get that nostalgic feeling from the Uncharted series is a reason why Naughty Dog is getting away from what made them great? Look the company moved on, they want to try new things, and work on new projects sometimes you may not like the game as much as their previous offerings...that's life. Oh and btw the PS2 era Crash games were not made by Naughty Dog. Naughty Dog lost the Crash license to Activision after Sony aquired Naughty Dog in 2001(or when they refused to make anymore Crash games I can't remember). There are plenty of other platformers out there for you to get that same feeling you got playing Jak or Crash. Ratchet and Clank, Prince of Persia etc.
If Uncharted racing happens, it'll be a small downloadable title made purely as a homage to the previous pattern of Naughty Dog releases. I don't think the universe doesn't suit a full retail racing game.
As for your main point, I love Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. They are amazing games. I haven't played the Uncharted games (I don't have a PS3) but they look pretty cool too. I think Naughty Dog should continue with their policy of doing three main games in a series and then moving on, but I'm not bothered what style they do, I just want them to move on to something different. We already have plenty of developers and publishers running their series' into the ground by constantly iterating on them, Naughty Dog's policy of doing three games then moving onto something new is refreshing and I hope they keep doing that.
I'd like to take this moment to mention that the Crash games were terrible...but J&D; and Uncharted are the best thing Sony have going.
Don't kill my joy.If Uncharted racing happens, it'll be a small downloadable title made purely as a homage to the previous pattern of Naughty Dog releases. I don't think the universe doesn't suit a full retail racing game.
I don't think the universe suits it either. But getting it to work seems like it'd be part of the fun.
I think it just shows the change in the industry. Mascot based platformers stopped being big sellers around the time of the PS2.. Didn't make much sense for them to keep developing them. I'd love to see them follow the same pattern with Uncharted though. Make a fun downloadable racing game and then leave the Uncharted series alone and develop something new. We're seeing far too many game franchises go on for too long. I mean, how many Metal Gear Solid, Halo (at least Bungie have moved on) and God of War games are we going to get?
@WinterSnowblind said:
I think it just shows the change in the industry. Mascot based platformers stopped being big sellers around the time of the PS2.. Didn't make much sense for them to keep developing them. I'd love to see them follow the same pattern with Uncharted though. Make a fun downloadable racing game and then leave the Uncharted series alone and develop something new. We're seeing far too many game franchises go on for too long. I mean, how many Metal Gear Solid, Halo (at least Bungie have moved on) and God of War games are we going to get?
I'm not really too sure if you can include God of War in that list. Sony Santa Monica has always said that the GoW main series is going to be a trilogy and so far they've only made 3 with Ready at Dawn making the 2 portable games just like Naughty Dogs development of Jak and Daxter(with ND developing 4 while another studio makes the Portable titles) or Uncharted(ND developing the main 3 while another studio makes portable titles). I'd say more along the lines of Call of Duty or Final Fantasies.
It's called moving the fuck on...
I'm personally glad Naughty Dog continues to revolutionize and challenge themselves each gen. I don't need to see them milk franchises I've played to hell already...
Dude....@MattyFTM said:
I haven't played the Uncharted games
Wauw... just wauw. That is all I got from that comment.
This is not even an excuse: I don't own a PS3.
Well then get one... buddy! I don't care how just get one so you can play these marvelous games.
I mean the second Uncharted is a good game and everything...but fucking christ, he'll get along just fine without playing them.
@Castiel said:
@MattyFTM said:
I haven't played the Uncharted games
Wauw... just wauw. That is all I got from that comment.
This is not even an excuse: I don't own a PS3.
Well then get one... buddy! I don't care how just get one so you can play these marvelous games.
Feel free to send me £250 and I'll happily buy a PS3 and Uncharted.
What is this £250 you speak of. Is that like Internet speech?@Castiel said:
@MattyFTM said:
I haven't played the Uncharted games
Wauw... just wauw. That is all I got from that comment.
This is not even an excuse: I don't own a PS3.
Well then get one... buddy! I don't care how just get one so you can play these marvelous games.
Feel free to send me £250 and I'll happily buy a PS3 and Uncharted.
Edit. Wait. I know this... LRSO.
What's a lrso?
New console new franchise. Besides would you want some other company to shit out Jak games on the PS3 like Crash games were shat upon us after his PS1 glory days?
@Goly said:
I like this pattern of three games and then moving on to something else. I think trilogies are perfect to make the most out of a franchise without feeling like they are milking it. I'm not necessarily thinking about games but movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Yeah Star wars Should have ended after episode III it got stupid after with Ewok's and shit !!!!!!!!!! ;)
Well the Crash series was owned by Vivendi and when Naughty Dog was bought by Sony they lost the rights to it. They never "gave away" the rights, because they never owned them to start with. Now they make the games that Sony tells them to make. Usually that has resulted in great games. I believe they said that they felt they had told Jak's story and felt they needed to move on. It was Sony's decision to make Lost Frontier. As for Uncharted, I have a feeling they will keep making it until they feel they have exhausted it and then move on to a new series. It's always healthy to keep evolving.
Insomniac did the same thing with their Spyro the Dragon franchise, if I am correct. They made three games then handed it off to other develpers. I don't think they made racing game, per se, however there was a racing mini-game in Spyro 3. Don't quote me on that though.
It seems that outside of the Wii, gamers aren't that interested in mascot platformers. The Ratchet & Clank series is the one hold-over from the previous generation. The sales for R&C Tools of Destruction were significantly less than the first 3 games that appeared on the PS2, but A Crack in Time performed on par with the low end of those earlier editions.
I wish there were more of these types of games and while the Sly Collection is nice, it doesn't really satisfy as a true sequel. There is a Sly Cooper 4 in the works, although it too isn't being made by its originator, Sucker Punch Studios.
Having said all this, I can't fault Naughty Dog for (a) doing the same thing that other similar studios have done and (b) delivering a stand-out franchise like Uncharted.
@Jazzycola said:
@WinterSnowblind said:
I think it just shows the change in the industry. Mascot based platformers stopped being big sellers around the time of the PS2.. Didn't make much sense for them to keep developing them. I'd love to see them follow the same pattern with Uncharted though. Make a fun downloadable racing game and then leave the Uncharted series alone and develop something new. We're seeing far too many game franchises go on for too long. I mean, how many Metal Gear Solid, Halo (at least Bungie have moved on) and God of War games are we going to get?I'm not really too sure if you can include God of War in that list. Sony Santa Monica has always said that the GoW main series is going to be a trilogy and so far they've only made 3 with Ready at Dawn making the 2 portable games just like Naughty Dogs development of Jak and Daxter(with ND developing 4 while another studio makes the Portable titles) or Uncharted(ND developing the main 3 while another studio makes portable titles). I'd say more along the lines of Call of Duty or Final Fantasies.
There's also been a bunch of portable games and strong rumours of a 4th. If that's the end, fine. But it's almost certainly going to continue the same way.
Please Log In to post.
This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:
Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.Comment and Save
Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.
Log in to comment